[Paimon comforted: "But that's normal, right? You and Zhongli… no, you and Rex Lapis have known each other for so long. You've helped him, so him helping you isn't a big deal, right?"]
Zhongli nodded. Well said, Paimon. Lucian, look at her.
Paimon's emotional intelligence could be lacking at times, but unlike Ei, it wasn't that she had none—she was just a bit too straightforward.
Now, with the intent to comfort Xiao, her words were quite pleasant.
She even played the flatterer, switching "Zhongli" to "Rex Lapis" mid-sentence, choosing the fancier title.
[Xiao nodded in acknowledgment: "In the moment we escaped the space, I faintly sensed Bosacius' lingering memories. If there was any gain from this journey, it was that."]
The Traveler sensed this memory too, and the readers were curious about what it was.
Kind-hearted Lucian naturally fulfilled their curiosity by illustrating this memory.
No, to be precise, it was drawn by Teacher Albedo. As the "first to eat the crab," he was bound by a confidentiality agreement not to spill secrets.
Thankfully, Albedo's emotional detachment paired with his exceptional artistry made him the perfect tool for the job.
Furina's ahoge twitched in warning, standing upright, as if sensing what was coming.
The dark scene had a flicker of light—a candle's flame, faint like a firefly in the pitch-black cavern.
The scene shifted, the "camera" focusing on Bosacius, one hand on his forehead, questioning:
["…Menogias, where'd you just go?"]
The next panel showed an ordinary middle-aged man, taller than Xiao, mistaken by Bosacius for Menogias. He said:
["Yaksha brother, you're confused again, aren't you? I've told you so many times—my name's Boyang."]
["I'm the fangshi fighting alongside you in the Chasm."]
Now the readers recognized him—this was the man who brought them to tears with just a single note.
So, this must be a memory of Boyang and Bosacius in the underground palace?
Relaxed after escaping the palace, the readers hadn't yet grasped the gravity of the situation.
But seeing these illustrations reignited their "trust" in Shikikan, putting them on high alert and making them read even more carefully.
It helped that Lucian's books were released at night, when people's emotions were more easily stirred in the quiet of the late hours.
[Bosacius repeated, puzzled: "Boyang… Boyang…?"]
The next panel was black, with no dialogue, as if sinking into a thoughtful silence.
[Bosacius: "You're Boyang, but then who am I?"]
At this point, Bosacius' memories were so muddled he couldn't recall his own name.
He couldn't remember his name, yet he still remembered the names of his brothers and sisters.
[Boyang gave a bitter smile: "I'd love to call you by your name."]
["Otherwise, we agreed to stay here together, but I can't even call you by name."]
[Boyang sighed: "What a pity."]
Yes, what a pity. From Boyang's notes, it seemed he kept calling Bosacius "Yaksha" until his death.
Due to this preconceived information, readers assumed Boyang never learned Bosacius' name before he died, making it all the more regrettable.
[Bosacius: "…Stay here?"]
[Bosacius, with conviction: "No! You have to get out!"]
Though his memories were in disarray, Bosacius was clear on one thing: staying here meant certain death, so he urged Boyang to leave.
As the eldest among the Yakshas, he was used to looking out for others and shouldering danger. Telling others to escape in the face of peril was likely second nature to him.
Because of this, even when he couldn't remember who he was, he was still urging Boyang to go.
[Boyang, alarmed: "Yaksha brother, don't talk nonsense."]
["Didn't we prepare to stay in this underground forever?"]
[Boyang's tone grew heavier: "You—you better not regret this!"]
[Boyang slapped his thigh: "That seal can't be broken…"]
The scene shifted to above them, where an exit was visible, now shrouded in red, as if sealed.
Boyang's words seemed directed at Bosacius, but they were also for himself.
He spoke with added weight, making his words sound more convincing and resolute.
Bosacius was the eldest, but Boyang was too! So he took on this responsibility!
He let his younger brother stay on the surface while he sealed himself and the beasts in the palace.
Moreover, from Boyang's words, the readers gleaned another piece of information: they could have left the palace.
If they were willing to break the seal, they could have escaped through the overhead exit.
But they couldn't, because the palace also sealed the beasts. Breaking the seal would let the beasts escape too.
No matter how much he wanted to live or longed for his family, he absolutely couldn't break the seal.
This was to ensure more people could live and return to their loved ones.
[Bosacius, realizing: "…Seal… ah, right."]
["I'm a Yaksha, here to fight!"]
Bosacius seemed to recall something, but only fragments.
The scene shifted. In the mountains, time lost meaning. It's unclear how long passed, but Bosacius' injuries worsened, and he now needed Boyang's support to move.
[Boyang, concerned: "…Brother, brother! You okay?"]
[Bosacius, panting: "…Haha, look at me, wounded like this. I'm afraid I don't have long left."]
[Boyang, voice tinged with panic: "It's just the two of us now—you can't die!"]
"Don't die!" Those two words alone had some readers with low tear thresholds starting to well up.
Countless sunrises and sunsets passed. The scene showed a wall, its shadow resembling a little girl reaching for her mother's embrace.
[Boyang chuckled softly: "…Today, I saw my family down here in the underground."]
["Tell me, have I gone mad too?"]
Though he spoke of madness, his wistful tone carried a hint of a smile. Seeing his family clearly brought him joy.
[Bosacius: "Boyang, do you want to go home?"]
[Boyang: "We decided to let Rongzhao stay on the surface, so of course…"]
[Boyang let out the breath he'd been holding: "..."]
["…Of course I want to go home."]
Yelan sighed as well, as if trying to exhale her heavy emotions.
Boyang might have meant to say, "Of course I'm prepared," but in the end, it became "I want to go home."
"I want to go home"—those four words pierced the hearts of all the Thousand Rocks soldiers in the palace, and Boyang was no exception.
But, Rongzhao… I'm the elder brother.
I'm glad I could let you live.
[Bosacius, with a questioning tone: "I must have a family too, right?"]
Seeing this line, even Xiao struggled to control his emotions, desperately wanting to say, "You do!"
Sadly, Bosacius couldn't hear.
Venti let out a "whoosh."
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice · Venti: About This Gathering
"I wondered why Lucian invited me to this gathering. Now I see, now I see.
Sigh, this wine of his—I'm not drinking it for free."